[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 43 (Friday, March 14, 2014)]
[House]
[Page H2472]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                BIG LAKE

  (Mr. GALLEGO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GALLEGO. Mr. Speaker, everyone in Texas knows about the Permian 
Basin's reputation for oil and gas. Every UT Longhorn or Texas A&M 
Aggie knows about the Permanent University Fund.
  Not everyone knows the critical role that Big Lake played in each of 
these, so today, my 23 in 1--taking people to the 23rd District in 1 
minute--is about Big Lake.
  The first well to hit on university lands was the Santa Rita well, 
which is now enshrined on the UT campus in Austin. Just outside of Big 
Lake was the site. It was named for the patron saint of the impossible 
because no one really expected the well to hit.
  The population went from 100 people to over 2,000. Today, those wells 
have produced great, great resources for the University of Texas and 
A&M over a long period of time.
  There was once a lake in Big Lake; it is dry now. It was fed by 
springs that are no longer there. They are there only when it has had 
significant rain. Big Lake is a wonderful place to visit. If you ever 
have the opportunity, please go.

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